Special Council David Weiss appointed to oversee probe into President Joe Biden’s son’s business dealings

The appointment of a special counsel to oversee the matter would give Weiss sweeping authority to probe an unanswered question: did Hunter Biden breach federal laws that required him to register as a foreign agent while working in China and Ukraine during his father’s vice presidency?

And it would put Garland – who was appointed by Joe Biden – at arm’s length from the case as it becomes increasingly sensitive for both the attorney-general and the president.

“The appointment of Mr Weiss reinforces for the American people the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters,” Garland said at a press conference in Washington.

Weiss is now the third special counsel appointed since November and joins Jack Smith, who is overseeing the investigations into former president Donald Trump, and Robert Hur, who is examining Joe Biden’s retention of classified documents from his time as vice president.

Smith has since charged Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, and his alleged role in attempting to overthrow the 2020 federal election, whereas Hur’s probe remains ongoing.

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But none of these appointments have stopped any of the matters from becoming deeply politicised ahead of the 2024 election. And the elevation of Weiss to special counsel all but guarantees the probe into Hunter’s life will remain in the spotlight for a long time.

Joe Biden has repeatedly declined to comment on the troubles of his son, a recovering drug addict, other than to say he is proud of him for turning his life around. He has also repeatedly rejected the Republican Party’s unsubstantiated claims that he somehow profited from any of Hunter’s financial deals.

However, Republicans disagree and are considering an impeachment inquiry against the president when Congress returns this northern autumn.

House oversight committee chairman James Comer claimed Garland was trying to “stonewall” Congress to prevent it from weeding out potential corruption within the Biden family.

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“The House oversight committee will continue to follow the Biden family’s money trail and interview witnesses to determine whether foreign actors targeted the Bidens,” he said, claiming without evidence that “President Biden is compromised and corrupt, and our national security is threatened”.

Hunter’s lawyer, Christopher Clark, said in a statement that he expected “a fair resolution” to the case.

“This US attorney has diligently been investigating my client for five years, and he had proposed a resolution which we fully intend to pursue in court,” Clark said. “It is hard to see why he would have proposed such a resolution if there were other offences he could have successfully prosecuted, and we are aware of none.”